ITVS GE acquires UK licensing right for OddBods

ITV Studios Global Entertainment has acquired the licensing rights for OddBods, the globally successful children’s comedy series, from One Animation.

The firm will be seeking licensing partners to launch a range of Oddbods spin-off merchandise to target the kids and early teens markets from quarter three of 2016.

Meanwhile, the series will air on the children’s channel, CITV, showing five minute shorts throughout its autumn 2015 schedule and longer form episodes scheduled for spring 2016.

“We’re delighted to be working with the world-class talent at One Animation and welcoming the wonderful OddBods to our portfolio,” commented Trudi Hayward, SVP head of global merchandise at ITVS GE. “The series promotes wholesome universal values including sincerity, honesty, friendship and humour while its multi-platform presence gives fans the increasingly important ability to engage with the show across a variety of media-touch points.”

Building on the accelerating popularity of the series, ITVS GE is now creating a dedicated UK consumer products programme for the property and is seeking licensing partners in key categories including plush, toys, apparel and accessories, homewares, gifting and stationery.

“Licensing is a key strategic move for our business,” explained Sashim Parmanand, CEO of One Animation. “The last twelve months has been phenomenal for Oddbods. It’s gone from a small production to something huge and exciting in a very short space of time, driven by its massive popularity amongst viewers. Expanding what we can offer under the Oddbods brand is the natural next step. There’s such a wonderful scope of possibilities and potential for merchandising using the characters and storylines, we have to transport them off the screen and bring them to life in other ways for the fans.”